


Pop The Top Again

by Thunder_Fox



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bar keeper!Levi, Erwin is married but it doesn't last, M/M, Police officer!Erwin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-13 01:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11749140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunder_Fox/pseuds/Thunder_Fox
Summary: Levi is the newest barkeeper in his uncle's old, rundown bar. He's not a free therapist.Erwin is a police officer with some problems of his own. If he keeps coming around, Levi is afraid he might just become a free therapist.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a fic this long before. Or anything this long. The first couple chapters might be a little rough, but I'm working to get my writing back on track.
> 
> Critique is welcome. Appreciated, even. I've only written these characters in roleplay, and I haven't gotten to do much of it as of late. I threw this idea at my friend, but nothing came of it, and I wanted it badly enough to take a whack at it myself. I love these characters and I'm done with them yet!

Most people appreciated how clean the latest bartender managed to keep the place. The bar top was glossy, well oiled and shined in the tacky Christmas bulbs that offered the only sign of festivity to be found in the gloomy place.

The years of sticky filth had been meticulously scrubbed away by quick, skilled fingers. Each glass was polished to a flawless shine. Levi had refused to serve a single drink or dish until every surface in the kitchen had been bleached, scrubbed, and sanitized. Had stayed well beyond the two o'clock hour on his first night to get everything up to his own perfect standards. And raised the health department rating all in one night.

That had been six months ago. And while the place could still be classified as the cleanest dump in town, it certainly didn't come with your run of the mill, sympathetic bar man willing to lend an ear, and quirky words of wisdom. No, they had Levi. Sharp tongued, shrewd eyed Levi, who never worried if he had offended a guest by cutting them off, or kicking them out if they got too rowdy. Surprisingly, even to himself, people seemed to respect it. Or at least find it mildly entertaining while they sipped at their drinks or threw back a shot. As long as they kept their drinks in their glasses, or their bellies, they wouldn't find trouble with the man serving them.

This night, the air was particularly thick. Muggy. Every time the creaky old glass door of the bar swung open, the man behind the counter scowled at the offender. The door stood open a breath too long, and though he couldn't see the person from where he stood, he listened for the click that said it had fallen shut again to keep out the mid-summer air. Still waiting...

"Oi, shit brain. Shut the damn door, you prick. Or I'm shoving the next electric bill up your ass and you better pray the money will spout from your mouth like a fucking ATM." He tsk'd as he leaned around the mountain of a man in front of him, the hooded, dull expression in his molten silver eyes adding heat to the quiet threat. As of being hired, he'd had yet to physically handle one of his patrons, but he scolded them daily. There were the regulars, the occasional random wandering in from the streets, the guys that thought they were tough shit and could take him home. And, of course, sorry saps who seeked out the cheapest, most run-down bar on this side of town to drown their most recent sorrows.

New guy, judging by the dark rings under his eyes, and clenched jaw, seemed to be the latter. Fucking perfect.

They were Levi's least favorites. The ones who saw the old sitcoms and thought they would find sympathy and an impromptu therapist for the night. There was a short list of people he would really lend his ear too, and not a single one was a guest at the bar.

"Apologies. About the door." New guy muttered, stepping around to the bar and letting Levi get a good look at him. Tall, blond, screaming masculinity from every pore of his downtrodden body-

Sorry sap or not, Levi couldn't stop that annoying section of his brain from reminding him that this guy checked off every box on his list of attractive features.

More handsome than any man had a right to be, even with bright blue eyes dulled by whatever was weighing on his mind. Levi felt the stirrings of curiosity, but quickly trampled them with a wrinkle of his nose. No way in hell was he chasing this guy. Not when he was destined to be a puddle of alcohol and drool come morning.

"Sure, whatever. Money doesn't actually come out of my pay." He offered with a shrug as he stepped over to the stranger. "You look like shit."

Blondie went to open his mouth, maybe to share a story of regrets, or simply show offense, but Levi wasn't interested. People had their problems, and there were professionals out there that were paid a hell of a lot more than him to talk that kind of shit out with.

He waved him off, leaning on the counter with an elbow and a disinterested expression. "You want something strong then?"

There was a long pause, then, "Whiskey, please." Whether that was disappointment or annoyance he heard in the request, the smaller man wasn't braking to find out. It was a slow night, always was on Tuesdays, but there were plenty of other things to do besides ogle the customers.

He grabbed a glass, holding it up to the lights for a quick inspection before filling it with a strong, amber colored liquid that he was told was of good quality. Whether anything in this bar really was, or not, wasn't for him to decide. He didn't usually do much in the way of drinking. "You wanna open a tab, or what?" He asked, setting the glass down in front of the man with a solid thump.

All the blond did was nod, taking the drink and sniffing it with a wrinkle of his nose. Maybe not so high quality. This guy was well dressed in his business casual, had an expensive watch, and fancy tie on in a place where everyone else was decked out in ripped blue jeans and dingy old jackets. Clearly this wasn't the sort of place this man belonged in. Not the brand of snobbish alcohol he preferred. So what had dragged him in?

Levi had yet to see him lift his eyes enough to get a good look. Whatever was bothering him, must have been weighing heavy on his mind. It was the first time he was actually interested in a patron.

"Hey, bar boy?" Came a gruff voice from the other end of the bar. A regular, sleezy older guy, was smirking at him, eyes roaming over Levi's ass just like they always did. Like he was a delectable treat to be devoured by the man's rancid yellowing teeth, and breath tainted by years of smoke and heavy drinking. Like Levi would ever let the guy lay a hand on him. Disgusting.

"I thought I told you not to come in here anymore." He hissed, pushing back from the blond to face the offender.

The guy, his fingers combing through a thick, greasy beard, barked a laugh. "Just let me use that pretty little throat of yours one time."

"Fuck off."

"You know yo-"

"I believe he said no. And asked you to kindly take your business elsewhere." From behind him came the deep, commanding tone. One completely foreign, different from the words spoken before, but that sent shivers down the young bar keepers spine with every syllable.

Levi turned back, piercing glare replacing the sudden shock so quickly, the stranger never even saw a thing. The man had stood again, easily towering over both Levi, and the sticky fingered intruder who was leaving sweat, and lord knew what else, all over his polished counter.

"And just who might you be? Ain't never seen the likes of you in here. Don't tell me Levi done gone and gotten himself a boyfriend." The glare shifted to a disgusted sneer, redirected back to the instigator. Levi could see through his confidence that he wasn't used to being challenged. Especially not by someone that sounded like they had the know how to back up their thinly veiled threats.

Blondie, and well shit, apparently his head had decided it was sticking with that name, leaned forward to rest his palms on the counter, bleeding cool confidence from every pore as he answered. "Officer Smith. Fifteenth Precinct.  Ten years on the force. And I repeat, I believe this man asked you to remove yourself from his establishment."

They were drawing attention from the rest of the crowd now. A nervous itch was pinching at Levi's skin, and just when he thought he was going to have some real trouble on his hands, his own personal creeper spat and stalked out.

"Fucker." He growled, then calling a little louder. "I just cleaned these floors, asshole." There was a rage burning in him. He was embarrassed that sticky fingers had come in here and treated him like his personal whore. Horrified that a cop, a fucking hot cop whose wide shoulders looked about ready to burst out of that snug fitting button down, thought that he had to come to his rescue.

He rounded on the only target left, gritting his teeth and ready to let him have it. Except... that broken hearted look had returned to sap away the commanding air that had just once occupied every stitch and pore of the man.

"The hell you think you are?" The biting tone he had intended was too soft. Much too soft for this complete stranger. This ruggedly handsome dumbass that thought he needed saving.

Those blue eyes finally met his, and Levi's breath caught in his throat. Gorgeous. Intelligence, wisdom, and something else he couldn't quite describe was in those eyes, buried under layers of pain.

"Like I told your admirer. I am officer Smith." Though the melancholy stuck to him like glue, the smile he offered pierced through Levi's gut. "You may call me Erwin, if you would prefer it."

Levi snorted. He'd found a nearby towel to start rubbing down the bar, letting the nerves melt away. "Erwin Smith. Seriously? What are you, fifty? Sixty?"

Rather than show offense, Erwin's smile grew. He looked better that way. Younger than the years Levi had added. "I'm not nearly so old. You seem too young to be serving drinks."

"I'm legal, asshole. I ditched the fake IDs years ago." The remark earned a soft breath of a laugh from the blond, resonating through Levi's ear drums. That was the kind of laugh he could stand to listen to coming from on top of him.

He may keep his customers at arm's length emotionally, but if he was going to fall in bed with a stranger, this guy was on the list.

Things quieted down after that. Levi turned his back to Erwin, serving up drinks with just the right amount of flirty sass to compliment the tight clothes he wore. As much as he hated the unwelcome attention, the extra tips he made off of the perves kept the food in his cabinets that his base pay just wouldn't cover. A beer here, a shot there.

Erwin, for as miserable as he seemed, asked the least of him. Levi filled his glass twice more as the hours slowly passed, but he never got tipsy enough to warrant taking his keys. Worse yet was the feeling that, while he was turned away, he could feel those intense eyes boring into him. It would be flattering, under different circumstances. 

Tonight was not one of those deliciously rare circumstances. Erwin wore a wedding band, polished to a shine. He seemed anal enough that it might just be habitual. Not convincing him that marriage woes were not the reason he was here.

Or maybe it was his own uncle's name, written on the lease and permits beside the other owner. Maybe it was because Kenny Ackerman was making a name for himself in the underground again.

Maybe Erwin wasn't a broken old man at all. 

Levi had a made a point to keep the Ackerman name quiet, but he had a record. Sealed when he had turned eighteen. If this officer Smith found out, if he suspected anything, he could falsely accuse him and ruin his life. A life he had been working so hard to get back on track with.

It would weigh on his mind the rest of the night.

As the night came to a close and last call drew closer, the patrons started to slowly stumble out back into the streets. One by one, they all left, until it was just Smith left behind, sliding his empty glass across the counter once he had finished nursing his last drink. Moment of truth.

Levi held his breath as he reached for the glass, the last item in the bar that needed cleaning. Beside him, the towering figure stood and cleared his throat. His eyes were very clear, that blue piercing his own silver, but Levi stood his ground. He was stubborn, refusing to share even an ounce of the unease the man's look gave him.

"Are you comfortable going home on your own after the evening's previous interruptions?"

Huh? Out of all of the possibilities he had considered, apparently Erwin just being a decent cop hadn't crossed his mind. He couldn't help the woefully unattractive snort that came with the relief of it all.

"You mean Rob?" He let an amused smirk play on his lips as he reached up to put the glass back in its proper place. "Guy is in here at least twice a week. He talks big, but he's not shit."

Erwin hummed, looked as though he was considering something else before determining it wasn't important enough to mention. Levi found himself wondering how this man operated. Why had he picked this shady bar, on this shitty street? Would he be back again?

He thought about that part a lot more than he wanted to admit.

"Okay, Blondie. Clear out. I've got to lock up, and you've got to get home to wifey." He shooed him away, out the door like he would anyone else. And if he watched that tall figure a beat too long, he would never admit to it. A shame.

He made his way back to the register to finish the paperwork and cash out his tips. The first one he saw was massive. Who the hell threw down a fifty dollar tip on a twenty five dollar tab?

Erwin Smith-

Erwin Smith? What had brought this Erwin Smith his way? And, more importantly, was he about to be a problem?


	2. Chapter 2

Morning came far too soon, as it always seemed to do when he had to close the bar and then head off to class with the new dawn. His singular advantage was his familiarity with sleepless nights. The years after his mother had fallen ill had seen many a night with red rimmed eyes, watching vitals or IVs drip hour after hour. Now it was the hum of the radio or television while he studied, or tidied up the apartment he shared with his roommate. 

After everything with his mom had finally passed, he had fallen into Kenny's custody, and that came with it's own brand of interrupted sleep patterns. While most of his highschool career had been spent in a haze, his nights involved robberies and package deliveries. Not exactly the proclaimed "best years of our lives" scenario old movies and TV shows tried to pass off as reality.

His teen years were filled with petty crime. It was an assault that sat in his juvenile file. Should have been self-defense, but one look at his last name was enough to toss him away. Kenny had a record a mile long in this town. And Kenny, supportive guardian that he always had been, had split before there was any chance of the police finding him; leaving Levi to return home at the young age of seventeen to find twenty bucks on the table, and a note that read, _Taught ya all I can, kiddo. You're on your own._

Pompous jackass.

Kenny hadn't taught him a damn thing. His history with Kenny was what had plagued him the night before. What did that cop want? 

There was no piecing it together just now. Moments before class began, Hanji crashed into the room of his biology course and parked themselves in their usual spot to Levi's right. Their hair was a rebellious riot, brunette strands pulled back in a messy ponytail and glasses fogged with God only knew what.

"Mooooorning! You look worse than a dehydrated amoeba." Always trust Hanji to start the morning off with some nonsensical shit. They studied Levi's disgusted face through squinted eyes while wiping their glasses on the corner of their pale yellow lab coat. Typical.

"So worse than dead?" Levi shot them a glare and aimed a quick kick under the table that landed with a soft thud.

"Ouch! We have really got to work on your people skills."

"Oh really? Wasn't it you that just compared me to a dead cell, shitty glasses?" He quirked a slender brow. Hanji was a pain, but they were probably the closest thing Levi had to a friend on campus. Levi put up with the nonsense constantly spewing from their mouth, and Hanji seemed to endure every insult he could come up with without batting an eye.

"Isn't the TA supposed to sit up there with the professor? Or in the back?" Levi tutted while they blinked back at him with bright brown eyes.

"You sit in the back, silly!"

"There are plenty of open seats over there. Alone." They bickered often. Enough so that Hanji had decided, through whatever logic, that Levi was joking. By this point, they had almost even convinced him. Most days.

And he would almost welcome the distraction today. "Alright, four-eyes, what's on the agenda for today?" Because he almost wanted to talk about the police issue with them. Hanji, with their equally perplexing opinions on the justice system, would absolutely have an opinion.

Problem was, he didn't want to hear it. Not until he had a chance to talk it over with Farlan, who was already out cold by the time he had crept back to their shared apartment the night before.

So, instead, he entertained Hanji and their research babble until the professor stepped in to get class started. Just the beginning of a long day, with no time to think about officer handsome.

It was a full day of classes, a quick lunch in between. He had lost count of how many times he had looked over his shoulder, paranoid that someone might be tailing him. But not once did he turn to see eyes so blue, they put the sky to shame. They only haunted his memory. 

______ 

Later that night, exhausted, but swamped with homework, he dragged himself home. Home, where he could settle in with a piping hot cup of tea and wear his most comfortable pajamas without anyone judging him.

Which was exactly what he planned on doing. His first trip was to the tiny little kitchen, where he deposited his weighty bag and emptied his pockets to start the kettle. As he was digging through his pantry, his phone buzzed on the cheap wooden surface. It was late, well beyond the nine o'clock hour. Who the hell was texting him this time of night?

He plucked the nearest flavor he could find from it's box and plopped it in the waiting mug. Then it was on to check that text. 

Ah, the roommate, best friend, and part-time coworker. Farlan was manning the bar tonight. Levi unlocked the screen, clicking the notification.

_This blond guy has walked by three times. I swear he's scoping the place oue_

Levi's eyes went wide as he scanned the message, then again while another came through. It was a picture, taken through the grainy lens of Farlan's secondhand old phone. A picture of the same tall, blue eyed blond, with the deep voice and oceans of sadness hidden in those sky blue irises. 

_He's a fucking cop. The bastard was there last night, too. Let me know if he stops in and what the hell he wants_

A repeat appearance? Levi had hoped he had seen the first and last of the man the night before, but the evidence was on his phone. Then the second thought struck.

Erwin Smith wasn't looking for Farlan Church. Erwin Smith was looking for an Ackerman. And the only one he would find there was Levi Ackerman. That had to be why he was creeping around without going inside.

"How the fuck are you still managing to drag me into your bullshit?" He huffed angrily at an uncle that had walked out on him years ago. There was no other explanation. Levi had fought like hell to dig himself from that pit, fighting tooth and nail against every instinct that had been systematically bred into him through years of training tailored to criminal activity. There was no way in hell he was going down for something Kenny had undoubtedly done.

Farlan didn't text back until Levi had settled his nerves again. A steaming cup of tea sat to his left, lightly sweetened and cooling while he poured over the books spread out around the kitchen table. Charts and figures lined the pages, research notes were scribbled in the margins from previous owners of the books. He couldn't help but wonder how Hanji got such a kick out of the subject when the vibrations shook the table again.

_Um... it seems shady to me but blond cop came in here asking about you_

What? Levi paled, hands starting to sweat while his fingers struggled to type a reply. Just like before, a second text came through before he could even form a coherent thought.

_It's weird. He's asking if you're okay. Did something happen last night?_

That... wasn't exactly where his mind had gone when Farlan had messaged him. If Erwin was still playing the good cop game, it was about time he gave it a rest. That, coupled with his classically handsome good looks, might make a guy forget that he was afraid of being locked up. For something he hadn't even done... 

_Nothing new. Got hit on by a creep but blondie didn't appreciate it too much. He's overreacting_

Farlan texted back immediately. _I don't like it. You want me to cover your shifts the rest of the week?_

Levi scoffed at the response, fingers flying over the keyboard, even though his hands still shook. He had to go back and fix a couple of typos before hitting send.

_Do you want me to pay my half of the rent this month? Hell no. No cop is scaring me off_

And that was that. As much as it made him nervous, and the thin veil of sweat on his forehead proved that it did, he hadn't done anything wrong. There was no evidence against him. There had been no trace of Kenny anywhere in or around his apartment. Levi couldn't even clue them in on the man's location because he simply didn't know. By all accounts, there was nothing to be afraid of.

So why did he sit up until three in the morning, waiting with drooping eyes for Farlan to come home? 

It wasn't unusual for him to be up at this time of night, but he was usually found in his room, curled up with a book or tapping away at his laptop while Netflix droned on in the background. Not seated at the table, leg bobbing restlessly. He had given up the guise of studying hours ago, when his mother's old clock had melodiously announced the passing of one in the morning. 

"Levi?" Furlan blinked at him, sandy red hair soaked to the bone from the passing storm. "Blond cop must have you pretty wound up."

Levi pushed back on his elbows, straightening from where he had been slumped, mind racing with possibilities. "What the hell do you think? I've got cops tailing me, like I'm some sort of common criminal, or some bullshit like that. What the hell did he want?"

At his prompting, Farlan actually smirked. "It's funny you should ask." He started, painfully drawing it out as he took a seat in the creaky chair across from his miserable roommate. The greasy smell of fries wafted from the bag Farlan had set on the table, and the taller boy meticulously plucked them out to share.

"Spit it out, jackass."

"Okay. Okay." Farlan's hands rose in defeat, urging Levi to back off while he chuckled. "It was really weird at first, right? Guy comes in asking about you. But then he gets all, I don't know- Definitely not lacking confidence, but he seemed genuinely worried about you. And a little nervous. I think he likes you."

Levi was dumbfounded by the absurdity of that statement. That Farlan could so much as let a thought as ludicrous as that cross his mind.

'You're joking, right? Or did you miss the wedding band on the guy's finger. It had to cost a fucking fortune."

Farlan shrugged. "Eh, it's a bar. People do all kinds of shady shit at bars." Pause for dramatic affect, though Levi already guessed what was coming next. "They also go to drink their worries away. Maybe blond cop is having some marital dilemmas." 

The accompanying eyebrow waggle had him gritting his teeth, taking an angry bite from an unsuspecting french fry. "Then he can go to couple's therapy. It's not my fucking problem."

"Yeah, well it's going to be. I told him what nights you work this week-"

"The fuck?! What the hell are you thinking?" He was fuming, fist slamming on the table enough to scatter a few fries from their basket.

Farlan stood, tutting and collecting what was left of his dinner to protect it from Levi's wrath. "I don't know if you've noticed, but hot guys that aren't total creeps don't come strolling into our shit hole very often. Not to mention, you're not very social. Oh, and you seriously need to get laid."

Despite himself, Levi felt his cheeks burn red, the heat crawling down his neck, warming the tips of his ears. It could be mistaken for rage.

It wasn't. 

And Farlan knew.

"The guy is a little bit of a creepy asshole. I'll give you that." Farlan barreled on while his roommate was distracted, "but he seemed to care. And I'm pretty sure you can expect to see him tomorrow. Night, Levi."

And then he was gone before he even had the chance to give him a proper tongue lashing. There was nothing to be done now. Tomorrow night, he would be faced with those haunting blue eyes again.

"Fuck." Because even if he had a shaky moral code himself, he didn't really do one night stands. And he definitely didn't fuck married men.

But now he was thinking about it.

"Dammit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Farlan, you pain! No Erwin in this chapter, but guess who will be back in the next one?! :P


End file.
